Capitol Hill hawks object stripping CIA of drones

Conservative lawmakers have urged the Obama administration to leave the CIA in charge of aerial drone strikes, claiming it would be best for operational and legal purposes.

The plea comes in response to the White House-backed effort to
shift control of the drone program to the Pentagon, thereby
addressing transparency concerns. Although no final decision has
been made, a senior US official recently told NPR that the change
is a “distinct possibility.”

Three senior US officials also told the Daily Beast that the
move would “toughen the criteria for drone strikes, strengthen
the program’s accountability, and increase transparency.”

It remains unclear how exactly the move would increase
transparency, especially since some believe the program would
likely be transferred to the Joint Special Operations Command – a
sector that is equally, if not more secretive than the CIA.

Regardless of where the program could be moved to, pro-military
lawmakers and US analysts told Defense News that the CIA should
remain in charge of America’s targeted-killing operations, which
has become a major tool in targeting suspected al-Qaeda
terrorists.

“Both agencies are using the drones for different
missions,” Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), chairman of the House
Appropriations Defense subcommittee, told Defense News. “My
first reaction is … the military has done a good job, as has the
CIA. … The missions that the military carries out and the missions
that the CIA carries out are different.”

The congressman said the change is unnecessary, especially since
the targeted-killing program “works very well right now.” He
believes the military lacks the CIA’s experience in conducting such
operations and should not be given the same responsibility.

Some lawmakers have been open to the idea of letting both
agencies play a part in the US drone program, as long as the CIA
can continue to fulfill its mission.

“If the CIA can still operate its program, I think that’s
fine,” said Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), chairman of the House
Armed Services Committee. “I think the military has some
ownership, but I think the CIA has some ownership, too.”

But those who advocate moving the drone program to the Pentagon
say that it would strengthen the justification for targeting and
killing suspected al-Qaeda leaders and operatives, since “the
essential mission of the US military is to capture or kill an
enemy,” said Jeh Johnson, a former top lawyer for the Pentagon,
in a March 18 speech. He also believes that since Congress has a
say in the operations of the military, lawmakers would also have
more of an input on the use of drones.

“Furthermore, the parameters of congressionally authorized
armed conflict are transparent to the public, from the words of the
congressional authorization itself, and the executive branch’s
interpretation of that authorization,” he added, addressing
students at the Fordham University Law School. “Lethal force
outside the parameters of congressionally authorized armed conflict
by the military looks to the public to lack any boundaries, and
lends itself to the suspicion that it is an expedient substitute
for criminal justice.”

The US has not made any official decisions regarding the future
of its drone program, but outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon
Panetta hinted at a possible change in an NBC interview last month,
suggesting the even if the program were moved to the military, most
of its operations would remain covert.

As the White House allegedly continues to contemplate its move,
pro-military lawmakers and analysts hope that the CIA can retain
some element of control over the program, while some Americans
continue to advocate for the transparency that they believe the
move will create.